1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a device for drawing off gaseous and liquid media from an inflowing medium.
2. Discussion
If both liquid and gaseous media can flow in a pipe either at the same time or independently of each other, it may, in various technical fields of application, be necessary or desirable for this pipe to be separated into two separate pipes, in one of which pipes only gaseous medium may flow. Both liquid, and also to a certain extent gaseous, medium may flow in the other pipe.
A separation of this type is, for example, necessary in the refuelling of motor vehicles where an activated carbon filter is to be protected from liquid fuel constituents and therefore no liquid constituents are to enter into the pipe leading to the activated carbon filter.
According to an item of prior art which is known from practical experience, an individual valve is used for this purpose. A separate pressure relief valve is used in order to reduce excess pressures in such a refuelling system or fuel-evaporation control system of a motor vehicle.
However, the necessity of having two valves operating independently of each other here is very disadvantageous because this results in unnecessary costs. Also, the reliability of the entire refuelling system in which valves of this type are installed, and the maintainability of the said system are adversely affected.
DE 42 19 058 A1 discloses a ventilation device for oil-feed devices which have a float which floats in vigorously foaming oil by virtue of the weight of said float being partially supported on a spring element and which is provided for closing the ventilation valve and therefore prevents leakage of oil.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,217 discloses a separating valve which is intended to be used to separate liquids from gases. For this purpose, the valve has a plurality of flow ducts and also a washer which rises from its seat when a medium flows in.
For further prior art as regards similar devices, reference is made to GB 21 73 282 A and U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,106.